Reinhold krueger



, (No Mod'eli) R,-KRUEGER.

JEWELERS. RING TRAY Patented Aug rill/If? WITNESSES:

INVEINTOI? 'NITED STATES AT'ENT QFFIC E.

REINHOLD KRUEGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

JEWELERS RING-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,167, dated August29, 1893. Application filed June 3, 1892. Serial No. 435,385- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REINHOLD KRUEGER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Jewelers Ring-Trays, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved ring-tray for jewelers use,by which rings of any kind can be readily inserted into the slots of thetray and retained in the same, so that they cannot be removed from thetray, except by the attendant, whereby not only the accidental orintentional detaching of the rings from the tray is prevented, but acertain security against the theft of the same by dishonest customersobtained: and the invention consists of a ring-tray for jewelers, theframe of which is provided with transversely guided and spring-actuatedslide-pieces which are pushed by means of knobs toward the inside of theframe, said slidepieces bein g provided with upright posts on which aremounted fulcrumed and spring-actuated fingers that pass through therings when the same are forced down through the longitudinal slots ofthe tray, so that the removal of the rings from the tray is prevented,but which may be readily removed from the tray by pushing the requiredslide-piece with the fingers in inward direction, so. as to clear therings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top-viewofmyimproved ring-tray for jewelers, in which a part is broken off, so asto show the construction of the same. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse-section on line 2 2, Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3is also a vertical transverse-section, showing one of the lockingslide-pieces of the tray in inwardly pushed position; and Fig. 4: is adetail vertical longitudinal section on line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the wooden frame of my improvedjewelers ringtray. On the frame A are supported in the usual manner byupright stays a longitudinal velvet-covered strips which are separatedby slots a through which the finger-rings are inserted. 0n the bottom ofthe frame A are arranged transverse slide-pieces B which are guided byfixed intermediate strips B and acted upon by helical springsbwhich areattached at one end to the slide-pieces B, while the other ends areattached to the fixed strips B, as shown clearly in Fig.1. Theslide-pieces B are provided with as many fixed upright standards d asthere are longitudinal slots at, the upper ends of the standards beingprovided with fingers e that are fulcrumed to the standards d andextended below the longitudinal slots a of the tray, as shown in Figs. 1and 2. The rear end of each finger e is connected by a helical spring cwith a hook or catch (5 at the rear end of the finger and withtransverse metallic straps 6 on the slide-pieces B, as shown in Figs. 1and 4. When a ring is insorted in one of the slots of the tray, itpresses down the end of the finger until the finger can spring into thering and lock thereby the ring firmly to the tray. The ring can thenonly be removed from the tray by pushing the slide-piece inwardly bypressure on its projecting front end or pin, so that the fingers clearthe shanks of the rings and permit thereby the ready removal of any ringin line with the fingers of the inwardly pushed slide-piece. Any desiredring can thus be readily removed from the tray by simply shifting theslide-piece until the rings desired to be inspected are cleared by thefingers. The remaining rings are all retained in locked position by theunshifted slidepieces. When a ring is to be replaced, the shank of thering is pushed into the slot cat the required position on the tray, soas to depress its corresponding finger, it being thenrelocked by thesame automatically and without any special effort by the action of itsspring 6 The fingers of the different slidepieces hold the ringssecurely in position in the tray and prevent their removal from thesame, except by the attendant, who pushes inwardly the correspondingslide-piece, so that any oneof the rings can be detached from thetrayfor inspection. The tray forms thereby a safety-device for jewelersagainst the theft of valuable rings, While it also holds the ringssecurely in place and prevents the accidental detaching of the same fromthe tray.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A ring-tray for jewelers, the frame ofwhich is provided with longitudinal strips and slots, and withtransversely guided and spring-actuated slide-pieces below said strips,said slide-pieces being provided with fulcrumed and spring-actuatedfingers transversely to the slots, so as to automatically lock the ringsto the tray on inserting the same into the slots, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination, in ajewelers ring-tray, of a supportingframe havinglongitudinal strips and slots between said strips, transversespring-actuated slide-pieces guided along the bottom of the frame, andfulcrumed and spring-actuated fingers supported on said slide-pieces andlocated transversely t0 the longitudinal slots, so as to lock the ringswhen Witn esses PAUL GoEPEL, CHARLES SOHROEDER.

